May 17, 2024
jmunney
Cinema, Entertainment To-Do List, Music, Sports, Television
Babes, Back to Black, Beth Gibbons, Billie Eilish, Cage the Elephant, Don't Forget the Lyrics, Evil, Hit Me Hard and Soft, if, Lives Outgrown, Marvel Studios Assembled, Neon Pill, Orgy of the Damned, Preakness Stakes, RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars, Slash, The Strangers: Chapter 1, X-Men '97
CREDIT: Paramount Plus/Screenshot
Every week, I list all the upcoming (or recently released) movies, TV shows, albums, podcasts, etc. that I believe are worth checking out.
Movies
–Babes (Theaters)
–Back to Black (Theaters)
–IF (Theaters)
–The Strangers: Chapter 1 (Theaters)
TV
–RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars Season 9 Premiere (May 17 on Paramount+)
-Marvel Studios’ Assembled: The Making of X-Men ’97 (May 22 on Disney+) – I don’t always watch these BTS docs, but I do when they’re about X-Men ’97.
–Don’t Forget the Lyrics Season Premiere (May 23 on FOX)
–Evil Season 4 Premiere (May 23 on Paramount+) – To be followed by a mini Season 5 (the Final Season) soon thereafter).
Music
-Cage the Elephant, Neon Pill
-Billie Eilish, Hit Me Hard and Soft
-Beth Gibbons, Lives Outgrown – Lead singer of Portishead.
-Slash, Orgy of the Damned
Sports
-Preakness Stakes (May 18 on NBC)
September 4, 2022
jmunney
Better Call Saul, Evil, Television
Better Call Saul, Endings, Evil
In the past few weeks, Paramount+’s Evil concluded its third season, and Better Call Saul aired its series finale. So that makes this the perfect time for me to talk about how these are my favorite current shows when it comes to episode endings. They always leave you wanting more. Their cuts to the Executive Producer credit shots are generally silent, but they feel deafening.
With Evil, it feels like a thick book has pretty much plopped down on the table right in front of me. Whereas with Saul, it’s like someone has just walked out of the room and closed the door with absolute certainty. I want to know what happens next, but I also know I’ve just gotten exactly how much I was supposed to get.
This musing originally appeared in the Official Jeffrey Malone Newsletter. Subscribe here!
July 6, 2022
jmunney
Awards Shows, Emmys, Television
Better Call Saul, Evil, RIverdale, Severance, Succession, The Good Fight, Undone, Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty
CREDIT: Greg Lewis/AMC/Sony Pictures Television
Fun (or Frightening?) Fact: this year’s Emmy ballot includes nearly 3000 performers. We’ve all known for several years now just how overwhelming television has become, but somehow it still had room to launch into another level. So for my personal wish list, I decided not to think about it too hard. I’ll just include however many or however few selections per category I’d like to. I’ve probably forgotten some worthy contenders, but I won’t stress about it too much. We’ll find out what the TV Academy thinks when the nominations are announced on July 12!
Severance and Winning Time are the big-time rookies in my book, but Better Call Saul still needs plenty of love! Especially Patrick Fabian in his unforgettably [SPOILER] outing as Howard Hamlin. Speaking of shows with Bob Odenkirk, Undone is in the Animation field on the ballot, but it belongs in Drama. “No more Drama”? More like plenty of Drama!
KEY:
Bold=My winner
*=I have placed this nominee in a different category than the Emmy ballot.
**=Not on the Emmy ballot
Drama Series
Better Call Saul
Evil
The Good Fight
Riverdale
Severance
Succession
Undone*
Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty
More
June 10, 2022
jmunney
Cinema, Entertainment To-Do List, Sports, Television
Belmont Stakes, Evil, Jurassic World: Dominion, Rutherford Falls, Tonys
(CREDIT: Paramount Plus/Screenshot)
Every week, I list all the upcoming (or recently released) movies, TV shows, albums, podcasts, etc. that I believe are worth checking out.
Movies
–Jurassic World: Dominion (Theaters) – Just in case you want to be part of the conversation.
TV
-75th Tony Awards (June 12 on CBS and Paramount+) – I bet Six will win at least one award.
–Evil Season 3 Premiere (June 12 on Paramount+)
–Rutherford Falls Season 2 (June 16 on Peacock)
Sports
-Belmont Stakes (June 11 on NBC) – The Triple Crown concludes, again.
January 27, 2022
jmunney
Best of 2021, Best of TV 2021, Television
American Dad!, Best of 2021, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Evil, How to with John Wilson, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Nickelodeon football, Only Murders in the Building, PEN15, Pose, Resident Alien, Rick and Morty, RIverdale, Saturday Morning All Star Hits!, Search Party, Solar Opposites, Succession, The Good Fight, The Other Two, The Sex Lives of College Girls, WandaVision, What We Do in the Shadows
CREDIT: HBO
I probably watched somewhere between 1000 and 2000 episodes of TV in the past year. I don’t keep track of this information too specifically, so it’s hard to say for sure, but going by an estimate of at least 3 episodes per day, it must be somewhere within that range (if not higher). Anyway, these are the episodes out of that bunch that made enough of an impression on me to make me go, “Yeah, they nailed it.”
More
January 26, 2022
jmunney
Best of 2021, Best of TV 2021, Television
A Black Lady Sketch Show, A.P. Bio, American Crime Story, American Dad!, American Housewife, Animaniacs, Atypical, Best of 2021, Big Mouth, Big Shot, Bob's Burgers, Chad, Chucky, College Bowl, Conan, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Dickinson, Earth to Ned, Evil, Fantasy Island, Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, Ghosts, History of Swear Words, Holey Moley, Home Economics, How to with John Wilson, I Think You Should Leave With Tim Robinson, Impeachment: American Crime Story, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Jeopardy!, Joe Pera Talks with You, Last Week Tonight, MacGruber, March Madness, Miracle Workers, Never Have I Ever, Only Murders in the Building, PEN15, Physical, Pose, reservation dogs, Resident Alien, Rick and Morty, RIverdale, Rugrats, RuPaul's Drag Race, Saturday Morning All Star Hits!, Saved by the Bell, Search Party, Sex Education, Solar Opposites, Succession, Superman & Lois, The Baby-Sitters Club, The Beatles: Get Back, The Chase, The Conners, The Good Fight, The Handmaid's Tale, The Kids Tonight Show, The Masked Singer, The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers, The Other Two, The Problem with Jon Stewart, The Sex Lives of College Girls, The Shrink Next Door, The Wonder Years, To Tell the Truth, Tuca & Bertie, Ultra City Smiths, WandaVision, Wellington Paranormal, What We Do in the Shadows, Whose Line is it Anyway?, Y: The Last Man, Young Sheldon, Ziwe, Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist
CREDIT (Clockwise from Top Left): Screenshot, Netflix, Screenshot, Screenshot
For the Year of Our Screens 2021, my list includes all the shows that I would recommend to my fellow viewers as “worth watching.” So that’s 77 shows! There’s a lot of TV nowadays, and a lot of it’s also pretty good.
I utilized a self-imposed rule in which I had to watch at least 50% of a show’s 2021 output for it to be eligible. However, there were some noteworthy shows that I watched less than 50% of, so I’ve spotlighted those in an honorable mention section:
More
June 18, 2021
jmunney
Cinema, Entertainment To-Do List, Music, Television
Annie Murphy, Back of My Mind, Card Sharks, College Bowl, Conan, Evil, H.E.R., Helen Mirren, Kevin Can F*** Himself, Luca, Peyton Manning, Physical, Rick and Morty, Rita Moreno Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It, Rose Byrne, RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars, The Good Fight, The Sparks Brothers, When Nature Calls with Helen Mirren
Kevin Can F*** Himself (CREDIT: Jojo Whilden/AMC)
Every week, I list all the upcoming (or recently released) movies, TV shows, albums, podcasts, etc. that I believe are worth checking out.
Movies
–Luca (June 18 on Disney+)
–Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It (Theaters)
–The Sparks Brothers (Theaters)
TV
–Physical Series Premiere (June 18 on Apple TV+) – Rose Byrne gets into 80s aerobics.
–Evil Season 2 Premiere (June 20 on Paramount+)
–Kevin Can F*** Himself Series Premiere (June 23 on AMC) – Annie Murphy hates sitcom clichés.
–Rick and Morty Season 5 Premiere (June 20 on Adult Swim)
–College Bowl Reboot Premiere (June 22 on NBC) – Peyton Manning hosts.
–Card Sharks Season Premiere (June 23 on ABC)
–Conan Series Finale (June 24 on TBS) – Headed to HBO Max.
–The Good Fight Season 5 Premiere (June 24 on Paramount+)
–RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars Season 6 Premiere (June 24 on Paramount+)
–When Nature Calls with Helen Mirren (June 24 on ABC) – Something with animals.
Music
-H.E.R., Back of My Mind
July 20, 2020
jmunney
Awards Shows, Emmys, Television
2020 Emmys, Better Call Saul, Emmy Wish List, Emmy wishlist, Emmys, Evil, Killing Eve, Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Mr. Robot, On Becoming a God in Central Florida, Pose, Stargirl, Succession, The Good Fight, The Mandalorian, The New Pope, Undone
CREDIT: YouTube Screenshots
The 2020 Emmy nominations will be announced on July 28. As per annual tradition, I have assembled a Wish List for as many categories as I have something to say about. There is no minimum or maximum number per category, nor is there any strict adherence to official Emmy rules. And of course, there is the necessary caveat that I have not seen everything. Even with much of the country shut down for the past few months, that’s impossible.
I’m kicking off my Emmy Wish List discussion with some Drama this year. The top shows in this field are absolutely-without-a-doubt Pose and Better Call Saul. The former was nearly my favorite show of 2019, while the latter is right up there for 2020. And you know what? I just couldn’t pick between the two of them for Outstanding Drama Series, so I’m calling a tie! Nor could I pick between Bob Odenkirk or Billy Porter for Lead Actor, so it’s another tie! (I’ll probably pull for Bob come the night of the ceremony, as he’s yet to win, while Billy is the reigning champ.)
The Albuquerque and ballroom crews are dominating most of the acting categories, especially Rhea Seehorn, who I believe was a co-lead this season though she was once again submitted as Supporting. Stunningly, she’s yet to ever be nominated; that had better change this year. Meanwhile, also on BCS, Tony Dalton made an undeniable impression as Lalo Salamanca in his first full season as a regular cast member.
Over in Supporting Actress, I’ve got the ladies of Pose all stacked in there, much as the Game of Thrones ladies were last year at the actual Emmys. And also much like the actual Emmys, my top pick is actually from another show; in this case, Carly Chaikin, who got to do her most complicated work yet in Mr. Robot‘s final season.
Other notables: Evil makes a strong impression in its first season, Rosa Salazar shows up for a rotoscoped performance, and my Guest picks come almost entirely from The Mandalorian.
KEY:
Bold=My winner
!( )!=I haven’t caught up to the current season of this show, but I still wanted to recognize it.
*=I have placed this nominee in a different category than the Emmy ballot.
Drama Series
Better Call Saul
Evil
!(The Good Fight)!
The Mandalorian
Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Mr. Robot
Pose
Stargirl
Undone
More
September 20, 2019
jmunney
Cinema, Entertainment To-Do List, Music, Television
Ad Astra, Between Two Ferns, Between Two Ferns: The Movie, black-ish, Brittany Howard, Crank Yankers, Creative Arts Emmy Awards, Disenchantment, Emmys, Evil, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Jaime, Loro, mixed-ish, Schooled, Single Parents, South Park, Superstore, The Conners, The Goldbergs, The Good Place, The Masked Singer, The Unicorn, Young Sheldon
CREDIT: Netflix
Every week, I list all the upcoming (or recently released) movies, TV shows, albums, podcasts, etc. that I believe are worth checking out.
Movies
–Ad Astra (Theatrically Nationwide) – Dad Astra.
–Between Two Ferns: The Movie (Streaming on Netflix)
–Loro (Limited Theatrically) – Bunga bunga!
TV
It’s that time of year again!
–Disenchantment Season 1, Part 2 (September 20 on Netflix)
-Creative Arts Emmy Awards (September 21 on FXX)
-71st Primetime Emmy Awards (September 22 on FOX)
–The Conners Season 2 Premiere (September 24 on ABC)
–black-ish Season 6 Premiere (September 24 on ABC)
–mixed-ish Series Premiere (September 24 on ABC)
–The Masked Singer Season 2 Premiere (September 25 on ABC)
–The Goldbergs Season 7 Premiere (September 25 on ABC)
–Schooled Season 2 Premiere (September 25 on ABC)
–Single Parents Season 2 Premiere (September 25 on ABC)
–It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia Season 14 Premiere (September 25 on FXX)
–South Park Season 22 Premiere (September 25 on Comedy Central)
–Crank Yankers Season 5 Premiere (September 25 on Comedy Central)
–Superstore Season 5 Premiere (September 26 on NBC)
–Young Sheldon Season 3 Premiere (September 26 on CBS)
–The Good Place Season 4 Premiere (September 26 on NBC)
–The Unicorn Series Premiere (September 26 on CBS)
–Evil Series Premiere (September 26 on CBS)
Music
-Brittany Howard, Jaime
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